Can Stress Aggravate Allergy Symptoms?

While stress does not cause allergies, a new study finds that increases in stress levels may aggravate allergy symptoms.

In an effort to explore the association between allergies and stress, a team of researchers from the Ohio State University Medical Center observed 179 study participants over the course of 12 weeks. Within the 12-week timeframe, 39 percent of patients had more than 1 flare-up of allergy symptoms, and investigators found the group with allergy symptoms also had higher stress levels. While study authors maintain there was no clear association between immediate allergy flare-ups occurring as a result of stress, many participants with allergy symptoms did report flare-ups within days of increase to their daily stress levels.
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Stress can cause “several negative effects” on the body, including the manifestation of more symptoms for allergy sufferers, noted Amber Patterson, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Ohio State University Medical Center, and lead study author. “Our study also found those with more frequent allergy flares also have a greater negative mood, which may be leading to these flares.”

Given the findings, the authors suggest that allergy suffers try alleviating stress when possible, recommending techniques such as meditation and breathing deeply, learning coping mechanisms that do not involve smoking or caffeine, creating time for relaxation and fun activities, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and asking for the necessary help from family and/or colleagues.

“Stress and illness, and the symptoms they produce, are unavoidable,” says William Malarkey, MD, director of the Clinical Research Center at the Ohio State University Medical Center, and study co-author. “But they can be greatly buffered in resilient people who have healthy lifestyles and strong spiritual, relational, and emotional qualities.”

Therefore, “health professionals—and all of us—should [evaluate] where we stand, so we can make adjustments in these areas to improve our health,” adds Malarkey. “A pill won’t do this for us.”

—Mark McGraw

Reference

Patterson A, Yildiz V, Klatt MD, Malarkey WB. Perceived stress predicts allergy flares. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2013.